Wilfred Scawen Blunt and his Ideas on the Future of Islam

Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, like many aristocratic Englishmen in the age of Empire in the late 19th century, took an interest in the Muslim populations of the colonies being governed by Britain. As a prolific writer and poet, his approach differs from his contemporaries in being, on the whole, genuinely sympathetic to Islam. In his book ‘The Future of Islam’ he shows how important the power of Islam in coming centuries is likely to be, and touches upon many important topics, such as the growing spread of Islam in the world and possible adjustments to the Caliphate. He would like to see the formation of a friendly association between Great Britain and the Muslims of the world in the political interests of Britain. Inevitably, many of his predictions and wishes did not materialize in the 20th century. Wilfred Scawen Blunt [1840-1922] was an English gentleman who followed the leisurely pursuits available to affluent members of Victorian society, i.e, travelling and poetry. His travels in the Middle East made a powerful impression on his intellectual and emotional sensibilities. As E.M. Forster wrote in his essay on Blunt, he ‘was drawn to Islam, and at one time thought of professing it.’1 He was, no doubt, in sympathy with the subjugated peoples of the Middle East and with the Indians of South Asia who were groaning under the colonial yoke. Further in the essay, Forster writes, ‘Egyptians found him too proTurkish and Indians too anti-British.’2 This attitude was unique for a stolid Englishman of the time of the ‘highnoon of Empire’. Blunt feared the advance of European powers in Oriental lands. Forster further writes: ‘His detachment is amazing. He dreaded a war because it must involve Asia and Africa, and complete the enslavement of the conservative Oriental nations, whom he loved and who loved him……

Feminism in Prose Novels and Short Stories of Nawaal Al Shadavi and Fahmida Riaz A Comparative Study

This study is a comparison between two female pioneer authors of the two important Islamic languages Arabic and Urdu. This study deals with the similarity between literatures of known phenomena, and we find this similarity very clearly in the literary works of known Arabic female writer Nawal El Saadawi and famous Urdu literary personality Fahmida Riaz, about whom this study speaks. The basis of this study is resemblance which is based on the association in the femininity and socio political similarities of woman due to same circumstances which the both countries Egypt and the Indian subcontinent passed through, like British occupation for a long period of time and similar psychological problems, whereas the characteristics of each literary era appear in the works of writers of that era regardless of their geographical location and their culture. This study will be very useful in the field of comparative studies in various parts of the world, and one day when it will come into being, it will provide solid bases to one another. I divided this study into four chapters: the first chapter named as "the feminism its concept and development in the Arabic Literature" and the second chapter is about "The feminism in works of Nawal El Saadawi," whereas the third chapter is about "the feminism in the works of Fahmida Riaz" and the fourth chapter deals with “comparative study of the works of Nawal El Saadawi and Fahmida Riaz." In the points of resemblance the researcher has found many similarities between these two writers for stance their self dependency and the way they suffered hardships of appearing before the courts because of their works. This study points out some of the differences between the two authors. In brief, the human natures are similar and their reaction is similar within their framework, whereas they wished for humanity a prosperous future and this wish is still latent in the human subconscious since ancient times. And since the man left heavenly paradise, his efforts are to convert this dream into reality by making earthly life paradise. The literary efforts of these two prominent authors target to achieve the same dream and that is to improve the human life to that extent.